It was a harvest of excitement as the atmosphere radiated with shouts of joy and applause, as the Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD), Imo State chapter elected new executive officers amidst peace and unity on 11th January,2025 at Christian Association of Nigeria,CAN Secretariat, Owerri.
Addressing leaders and delegates immediately after swearing-in the newly elected executives, the Imo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Vulnerable Groups, Lady Nkechi Ugwu said she was passionately praying for a peaceful election, expressing fulfilment and pride in the peaceful and orderly manner the election was conducted and concluded.
She said the governor will be elated that the election has been conducted peacefully, as according to her,the governor was really sad when the association was being ravaged by crisis and factions.
Speaking, the outgoing Chairman, Hon.Dr. Stanley Chinedu Nwachukwu expressed satisfaction that the election was conducted peacefully and successfully and for the fact that the crises ravaging the association was resolved few weeks to the election, by the national leadership, through the South East zonal leadership.
“Today everything went well, very successfully, no grudges, as you can see, nobody complained. We harmonized and everything went smoothly. Members are just happy. No quarrelling, no fighting, no rigging and the election was transparently conducted”.
He reassured that, in line with the association’s constitution, which stipulates that the outgone Chairman will remain a member of the executive as ex-officio, he will continue to offer advice and support where needed.
The newly elected chairman, Barr Chidubem Ekwelem expressed joy that, in the history of the association, the election that brought him in was conducted without any rancour, as members spoke with one voice, leading to sole candidates for all the elective positions, except the Publicity Secretary position.
On why members were full of excitement, during and after the election, the chairman said it is because they were witnessing the return of peace to the association, as according to him, peace and unity has eluded the association for a very long time.
On his plans for the association, Ekwelem said his greatest plan is to restore the dignity of disabled persons, by working in synergy with government and relevant organizations, to ensure full implementation of the disability law, which is already in existence.
Additionally the newly elected chairman disclosed that his administration will be structured in such a way to accommodate a greater number, if not all disabled persons in the state, especially at the grassroots levels.
Fielding questions from newsmen after the election, the chairman of the electoral committee, Ugoenyi Kenneth attributed success of the election to God who answered his prayers and helped him, even to extent of resolving the crisis that ravaged the association, few weeks before the election.
On what led to the fact that almost all the elective positions had sole candidates who returned unopposed, the electoral committee chairman had this to say: “When people’s choice came out, for the chairmanship position, it worked the magic for others. Most aspirants voluntarily stepped down for him, and it trickled down to other positions, leading to harmonization and realignments that made it possible”.
Also fielding questions from newsmen, the newly elected Okigwe zonal Coordinator, who is also the National Sports Secretary, Comr. Udensi Ekene said his overwhelming happiness stems from the fact that the mockery they were use to be subjected to at the national level, because of crisis in three out of the five state branches of the association in the South East will be a thing of the past, as peace has returned to Ebonyi and Imo and that of Abia is at the final stage of being resolved.
The election was witnessed by the national President of the association, Abdullahi Usman, who was represented by the Sound East zonal Coordinator, Hon. Wisdom Kalu, as well as the Special Adviser to Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State on Special Citizens, Hon. Samuelson Ekweghibe.
